Old TODOs make AI coding tools slower and more expensive
In brief
According to Google, leftover TODO comments and outdated bug notes can send AI coding agents onto work the developer did not ask for. An internal analysis found that about 13% of sessions showed such comments to an agent, and in 6% of those cases the agent acted on the referenced bug. Unprompted detours added about 70% more steps, 77% more tokens and 105% more wait time.
Source : InfoQ - « Google Finds that Technical Debt Can Derail Coding Agents Through "Agent Distraction" »
What it changes for an SME
If your team uses an AI coding assistant, leftover TODOs and old bug notes in the repository can send the tool onto extra work. That can raise token costs, waiting time and the chance of changes that are already done or outside the request. For a firm of 10 to 250 people this is a cost and review issue, not a new compliance duty. Google also showed that obsolete comments can be scanned and removed, but human reviewers still approved those deletions.
What you can do
- Ask your developers to list TODO and FIXME comments linked to closed tickets and to remove the obsolete ones.
- When you trial an AI coding assistant, compare token use and wait time on older files versus recent code.
- Set a simple rule: once a bug is done, do not leave its number or an old spec in a comment.
Let's talk about the time you could save.
In 20 minutes, we find where AI could save you time or money. Free, no commitment.